Just a L-16, and its two big brothers.

[datzenmike]

Dan... 4x4 oil pans are totally different from the 2wd. The L20B 4x4 oil pan is also different from all other 720 4x4s. The deepest part is always to one side for clearance of the R-180 differential. The right side CV is shorter than the left side.

 

 

 

All Z series oil pans have the lowest part on the right side meaning the differential is on the driver's side making the CV shorter on the left side. Exactly opposite of the L series.

[flatcat19]

Daniel, do you need an L16 521 oil pan? I have 2 of them here.

 

 

PM me, if interested.

[DanielC]

No, I have more L-16 521 oil pans than engines. Thanks!

[flatcat19]

I figured you had spares for the spares that needed spares when it comes to anything 521 related.

 

 

Just thought I would throw it out there for you.

[DanielC]

Groundhog Day, I moved Dragon, one of my 521 trucks out of the garage, and backed Ratsun, another 521 I have, into the garage.  That puts the bed, with the L-20-B engine close to my bench. 

Then I put a 521 four speed transmission on the back of the L-20-B, I built a test stand that works with the four speed transmission.  I also moved the throwout bearings on the four, and five speed transmissions around, so those throwout bearing collars stay with the correct pressure plate.  I broke the crankcase vent on the can cover on this engine, and it had no oil cap from the junkyard.  

 

This is the left side of the engine, sitting on the stand.  No carb, no distributor, EGR partially off engine.

 

I took the cam cover off the engine, not the cleanest engine i have seen.

 

I used a little ATF on a rag, to see if some of the gunk will come off the cam, and cam towers.  A slight improvement.

 

This engine also was missing the top alternator strut.  When I was at Pick-n-Pull, looking at a second L-20-B, the one that had water in the cylinders, I removed some bolts, the alternator strut, the timing tab off that junk engine.  I put the alternator bracket, and the timing pointer on this engine.

 

This is a starter I found at Pick-n-Pull, on a 1984 Nissan pickup, with some sort of Z engine?  The engine was tilted the wrong way, and somebody had already taken the cylinder head.  This looks like a "L" starter to me, and it bolted on.

 

i also went back, and got some EGR stuff I left behind, when I pulled this engine.  Here it is, back on the engine.  Mainly to plug holes in manifolds.  Just at the top of the frame in this picture, a good clean cam cover, with a vent and oil cap.

That is when I quit working in the engine last night.

[DanielC]

This morning, a quick inventory.  The engine I got had no fuel pump, but the spacer was there.

I went and got my box of old fuel pumps.

 

The distributor was also missing,

 

I got my bucket of distributors, coils, and ballast resistors.  Some distributors are matchbox type.

 

Also missing, the carburetor.

 

This is a Weber carburetor, that was on a third Datsun 521 I have, Dragon Two.  This engine, and five speed might end up in that truck.


After parts inventory, and location, I went and got some oil to put in this engine.  Delo 400 15-40 oil, and some battery cable ends to put on some battery cable I already had.  I need to make a set of 521 battery cables, so I can hook up a battery, and do a compression test on this engine.  i also got some mineral spirits (paint thinner) to clean this engine.

[datzenmike]

Daniel, Z series engines lean towards the drivers side just as the L series lean over to the right. The Z series starters also are clocked over with the solenoid closer to the block. If a (left leaning) Z series starter is placed on a right leaning L series block, the solenoid hits the dipstick.

 

Great, I thought, all I have to do is bend a small curve in the dipstick tube. Shit! Now the solid dipstick won't slide down the tube. I had to rivet together a chevy thin flexible dipstick for it. So a Z series starter on an L series is not a good idea. However an L series starter on and Z series engine works perfectly although the solenoid is over and away from the block a bit.

[DanielC]

I think the starter I got off the Z series engine in the junkyard was a L starter.  I have none of the problems you describe.

[wayno]

I didn't have that issue, and this is a Z block series starter, that solenoid cannot tilt any closer to the block.

[datzenmike]

I must have a longer starter or solenoid. Could not bolt it up until the tube was bent in. Maybe it was a gear reduction starter. It was...

 

[DanielC]

First, a top down view of the Pick-n-Pull starter.

 
With that out of the way, I try to keep a supply of gaskets around.

 
I found a fuel pump gasket, and put this fuel pump on the engine.  But before putting the fuel pump on I tested it.  I put my thumb over the inlet, pumped the fuel pump, waited a little, and it held a vacuum on the inlet.  I put my thumb on the outlet, pumped the lever again, waited, and it held pressure.

 
Along with spare gaskets, extra nuts, bolts, washers are handy.

 
I also got some of these nuts, M8-1.25 JIS spec.  JIS Spec nuts are 12 MM across the flats and are used in a lot of places on Datsun engines.   You need these nuts to hold the Hitachi carburetor on a L-16 engine.  I used the washers and nuts to hold the fuel pump on the engine.

 
I missed taking pictures of it, but I chose a distributor, out of my bucket of distributors, and put that on the engine.  I also got a pedestal gasket from my spare gaskets.
 
While putting the distributor on the engine, i noticed this missing bolt.   I found a bolt in the bag of bolts from the second L-20-B I chose to leave in the junkyard.

 
Now, to plug up the intake manifold carb mounting surface. I just cut a small piece of plywood, with a hand saw,

 
and then used an old Carb insulating spacer to locate holes.  I did not take a picture of it, when I put it on the manifold, but you will see it later.

 
I then put a plastic bag over the distributor, took Ratsun outside, and pressure washed the engine.  The next three pictures are back in the garage.

 

 
See, I told you you would see the intake manifold plug.

 
Then I needed some decent battery cables to crank the engine.  I made them, and after getting a spare good battery, put the cables on the starter, and battery.

 

I then put a gallon of Chevron Delo 400 SDE oil in the engine.  I normally use Valvoline VR-1 racing oil, but I believe the Delo oil is a higher detergent oil, and this engine needs cleaning on the inside.  My plan it to only run this oil for a short period of time, and then change to the Valvoline oil.
 
I pulled the spark plugs out of the engine, this is what they looked like.  Some Bosch spark plug.  That will be changed soon.  NGK BP6ES plugs.

 
I debated removing the oil pump, putting a gear less oil pump spindle in the engine, and running the oil pump without turning the engine, but I could not find my gutted distributor that goes between a drill, and the oil pump drive spindle. 
Instead, with the plugs out of the engine, I just cranked it with the starter, and no load on the engine.  I grounded a test light on the oil pressure switch terminal, and stuck the probe of the light in a space on the positive battery terminal.  Light on, just hooked up.

 
and after cranking engine for a while, the light went off.  It did come back on after I quit cranking the engine.

 
In the last few pictures, there are two twin white wires hooked to the starter.  They go to this switch box.  I am also holding a compression gauge.

 

With the engine getting at least some oil pressure, I did a cold compression test.  Yes, I did remove the wood block plugging the intake manifold carb mount surface.  #1, 170 PSI.  #2, 160 PSI,  #3, 162 PSI.  #4, 160 PSI.

 

Then I let the engine sit for a brief period of time, and pulled the oil pressure switch, and put a cheap oil pressure gauge on the side of the block.

[datzenmike]

That's idle pressure? :thumbup:

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

 

 

 

 

Now, to plug up the intake manifold carb mounting surface. I just cut a small piece of plywood, with a hand saw,

 

WHat's that thing with the handle? It doesn't have a battery!

[DanielC]

Mike, that is oil pressure cranking, with no spark plugs.  One thing I noticed after putting the plugs back in, and cranking it is the engine cranks pretty fast.

Stoff, the "battery" on the hand saw never goes dead, or at least it does not as long as I am alive.

[racerx]

Handle on the saw looks like carbon fiber, much lighter more efficient.

[wayno]

I have an assortment of differently clocked starters, I have so many issues with them in the work truck I keep several on hand.

From left to right. Z series, L series, next not sure, and the last is L series gear reduction aftermarket.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

L4 and L6 starters are identical except the clocking of the solenoid.

[banzai510(hainz)]

TSI Automotive(british parts place) has those Denso starters for Datsun 200$

Troy Ermish sell the same ones for a little bit more

[DanielC]

I have had good luck with $30.00 starters from Pick-n-Pull.

[Charlie69]

As always very informative write up Daniel, I thank you for your time and detail.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I have had bad luck on starters even the Nissan rebuilt ones(selinoids dont last)

[DanielC]

Near the beginning of February, I got a few parts for the L-20-B engine.  This is the fan belt I am using, this engine came out of a 1980 720, with air conditioning.

 
I also got this radiator hose,


and this radiator hose.  I asked a local auto parts store, Clackamas Auto Parts to get me radiator hoses for a 1980 Datsun 720 pick up, and this is what they gave me.   I also got the radiator that was in the 720 pick up this engine came out of, from Pick-n-Pull.

 
I cleaned the grime off the fan, here I have done 4 of 7 blades.

 
Then I went on a trip, seven days in Israel, and three days in Rome.  I got home Sunday, February 25, about 11:30 PM.  i am still slightly jet lagged.
 
After the trip, on Tuesday, I mounted this plate on the engine, and then attached an ignition coil to it.

 
These are the ignition coil wires.  Thick white wire, to coil positive.  Thinner black wire, with a red stripe, coil negative.

 
This is the matchbox wiring.  Thick white wire, from coil positive, "B" terminal.  Thinner black wire, with a red stripe, "C" terminal.  notice the black wires on the ground terminal by the vacuum advance diaphragm.

 
This is where the matchbox ground wire goes.   The small bolt that goes through the cylinder head, into the cam chain front cover.

 
Then I drilled a hole in the plate the ignition coil is bolted to, and put this switch in the hole.  The red wire coming from the switch, and disappearing out of the picture on the right goes to coil positive.

 
The red wire, and green wire go to the alternator.  The black wire goes to a panel mount idiot light.

 
At the alternator, the red wire goes to the main output of the alternator.  There is a black wire on the same terminal.  It goes to the battery positive cable on the starter.  the green wire goes to the "S" terminal.  The second wire from the idiot light is connected to the yellow wire in the picture, that is connected to the "L" terminal on the alternator.  You can also see a thick black wire on the alternator frame, that wire goes to the negative battery cable, attached to the cylinder head.

 
I turned on the switch by the coil.  That supplied power to the coil, the matchbox, and the alternator.  I cranked the engine a little, until I saw some oil pressure, and poured a little gas into the carb.  The engine started and ran, briefly. 

 

Then I attached a piece of fuel hose to the fuel pump, and stuck the end of the fuel hose in this gas can.  I cranked the engine for a little while, until the float bowl on the carb got full.  Then I pumped the accel pump on the carb a few times, turned the ignition back on, and started the engine.

 

I got the engine to settle down into an idle pretty quickly, and this is the oil pressure.

 

The fan is slightly blurry, because it is spinning.

 

[wayno]

Are coils supposed to be vibrated like that?

[datzenmike]

Nissan mounted them on fenders away from vibration and heat. They may be fine on the engine.  :confused:  All my Dodge v8s had them bolted to the intake.

[DanielC]

It is just a quick test of the engine being able to run.